Advent of the Dragons
by Irritus185
Summary: The dragons have been dreaming. Caught within humans, they have dreamed for centuries. Now, Myria calls for them, demanding their loyalty. But one does not hear her voice. The unstable one, the failure, he needs others to survive. The beast awakens.


A/N: I'm finally back again. My stories now on shall be completely serious. My entire writing style has gone through a revamp and now I am closer in tune with the original stories that I hope I can publish sometime in my life. They will be mature but still fun and interesting to read. Or at least I hope so. Oh, and I decided to change my name, too. Isn't it interesting? No? Well, it's latin, so look it up and you'll understand. I'll officially change it on after I post this so there's no confusion. This is one of three or four stories that I shall be devoting myself to, the others .hack and Evangelion. As a warning, this fanfic combines a lot of characters and ideas from all the different games so don't be surprised if you find characters from different games and storylines to get along with each other. It just is, okay? Anyway, please enjoy the fic and come read the author's note at the end because I have something important to say.

Disclaimer: I do not own Breath of Fire. I wish I did because then it would make it so much easier to turn this fanfic into an original. But I don't, so I'll just have to wrack what brain cells I haven't killed yet playing the games. Oh, woe is me…

**Advent of the Dragons  
Chapter 1: Instability  
By Irritus185**

The sun had begun to set, the twilight creating an odd prism effect as it refracted through the Miasma. Colors and geometric shapes danced along the alley's walls, a kaleidoscope centered on the eyes of the people squatting in groups. Their mouths and noses were crudely covered by ragged pieces of dirty cloths, barely filtering out the poisonous gas that pervaded through the air. One man began gagging before unceremoniously puking, the vile mix of acid and half-digested food spreading across the ground.

It was quickly swept down the alley when someone tossed a bucket of dirty water from the second floor of one of the buildings. The more solid parts of it moved sluggishly down the gutter, piling up against mounds of garbage and waste that were littered across the ground. One of the mounds loosened and disappeared into of the large holes positioned at intervals along the street. The sound was sickening – a cross between a low gurgling and something being hit with a sack of wet flesh.

The buildings of the slums were old and decrepit. Their roofs sunk and their walls were covered in moss and ichor. One had a long deep gash running for several meters, the result of someone sinking a bladed weapon and moving it through. It alternated moving up and down before forming into a large double slash, the structure of the injury falling apart due to weak support. The inside of the building was burned and ransacked, the work of a thief or bandit taking advantage of the house's weakened defenses. Nothing else was in the room to show that there were any inhabitants left. They had abandoned the place long ago.

The rest of the buildings had the same design, created near the beginning of the city's construction. Simple buildings – one door, two windows on each floor that faced the street, several rooms inside. Now they were barely acceptable. The floorboards had rotted a considerable deal, the faucets dribbled out rusted mucous water, the walls settling so as to let the weather move in and out without any protection. Wires were strung out between the houses for laundry, but they aged and snapped at times, injuring those that were too close when it happened.

Criminals ran rampant amongst the streets. Murder, theft, kidnapping, arson. No one cared to stop them, and the Miasma only hampered those that tried. The haze obstructed all forms of enforcement, and so everything was left with those that had strength. The weak were under their control.

After the Miasma had appeared, downtown Wyndia had degenerated a great deal, and most of the people living there had evacuated to higher altitudes or other cities. Those that stayed either could not afford to live anywhere else, or simply did not care. Time had passed and people grew used to it. This was their life; they had no other way to live it.

There wasn't much movement. Thanks to the Miasma, too much exertion led to too much inhalation of the cursed gas. That only led to a painful and drawn-out death. It was not something that was desired. A man lethargically kicked at the iron can he and a few others surrounding, trying to stoke the fire inside. It blazed for a moment before calming back down and going out. The people made no sound.

Feet heavily slapping on wet stones caught their attention. A young woman ran pass them, a heavy cloth wrapped around her lower face, her cowl thrown back by the movement. It revealed shortly-cropped blonde hair, dirtied by soot and grime. Her blue eyes shined fiercely, and her breath came out in short, ragged gasps. Her clothes were torn in several places, both from weathering and weapon slashes. A small pair of wings flapped uselessly behind her. A cylindrical object gleamed briefly in her hand before she hid it in her tunic. Her heart was pumping adrenaline to every part of her body, her senses heightened and in tune with everything around her.

The young Fae turned a corner. She slipped behind a cart full of rotting and diseased vegetables and into a narrow alleyway. She plastered herself against the wall, waiting. The sound of rapid footsteps came closer. The girl placed a hand over her mouth to mute her heavy breathing. The footsteps slowed down, coming to a halt. She waited. A scuffling moved around.

Trapped, no escape, death.

Her heart pounded loudly in her ears. Her pursuer would surely hear her. He would find her, and then…

Torture, pain.

She closed her eyes, hoping against anything else. The world slowed down. Each movement made by her was magnified a thousand-fold. Her cloak brushing against the wall sounded like boulders being pushed up a mountain. Her heart sounded like an explosion with each beat.

when would he leave oh please won't he leave please go away let her be let her go go away go away go away

A tap. Another one. A shadow moved across the ground. It slithered, a snake whose fangs were bared for the kill. It moved closer. Her breath was turning stale in her mouth. A tap again. It paused. Nothing happened for a moment, and then the shadow slipped away. Her lungs seemed ready to burst. She could hear the footsteps retreating from her position. Was he gone? A few more seconds. Now?

Nothing.

She let out her breath. It came out in one long hiss. She coughed when she inhaled, a bit of gas slipping in. Her eyes closed, tears squeezing out. She was safe now. She was safe. A light chuckle emerged from her throat. She had done it! She had escaped them!

Her voice increased in volume. It floated through the slums before she swallowed it back up. Time to go. She looked around and moved out of the alleyway.

A tap.

She spun around, her hands darting into her cloak. Sweat poured down her faced. Her eyes were wild. They darted back and forth. No one was there, the alley was empty. She looked again. Still, there was nothing. Her hand emerged from the cloak. She turned and took a step, edging around the cart.

A tap.

She turned.

Blue hair. Emerald eyes. An innocent expression. He stood there, appearing as if out of nowhere. His tall, lithe frame was toned with muscles, seen through his light tunic and course pants. A simple jacket made of leather hung loosely on him. His long hair was pulled back into a ponytail, falling to just below his shoulder blades. Large boots protected his feet. A metal buckle circled his waist, holding up an immense scabbard that crossed his back. He had nothing to cover his face, but appeared unfazed by the gas. His tanned skin was out of place, showing that he was not of the city. She saw no extra appendages or different body structures.

A Human in Wyndia.

He smiled congenially and took a step forward.

A warm feeling, like being wrapped in a large woolen blanket and sitting in front of the fire on a cold winter day enveloped her. She sighed blissfully. Such a peaceful and wonderful feeling; she never wanted to leave it. But then warmth became greater and hotter. The blanket was engulfing her, swallowing her up. She couldn't breathe, her bones were on fire! Her eyes snapped open and saw that the Human was right in front of her, that smile stuck in his features.

She took a wary step back. He tilted his head and closed the distance again. She widened it. He blinked and smiled warmly. He began to pull the hilt from the scabbard. She took another step and reached inside her clothes. She bumped into the cart, lost her footing, and crashed into its contents.

Mushy and foul-smelling tomatoes washed over her. They ground into her wings, staining them a light pink, and smothering them in white and black cream. Her hand grasped out and caught hold of the cart's rail. She pulled herself up, sliding as the produce went underfoot. She managed to catch her balance again and clambered out of the car onto the street. Her feet pushed as she attempted to run. The street was empty, the previous inhabitants vacating it when the commotion started. She had no one to turn to for help.

A flash of movement. The ethereal grace of an angel of death. The sun was blotted out as the man vaulted and twisted in front of her, landing with unnatural ease. He had pulled his weapon from the scabbard completely. A huge broadsword, a meter in length, reflected the light given off by the electrical streetlamps. Its tip at her throat, it made a promise to her, one that it intended to keep. Her mind screamed of danger, her body instinctively agreeing. She involuntarily swallowed. The blue-haired man smiled again and gestured with his weapon for her to stand. She did so.

She could now see him more clearly. His face was soft, closer to the adorable cuteness of a child. The lines of age hadn't reached him yet, and so he was stuck in a perpetual adolescence. His smile was warm and full of life, the lips curling up ever so slightly as though at a private joke. It did not reach his eyes – deep as the sea, dangerous as a feral Woren, knowing as a Grassmen. They projected strength, one far greater than any she had seen before, and a viciousness like no other. He closed his eyes briefly and said nothing, keeping the tip underneath her chin. A clanging of metal in the distance distracted him.

She took the chance, snapping up the arm she had kept hidden. A metal cylinder at eye level, hollow, and a handle near her end. She squeezed her finger, and a bright light exploded from the barrel. The bullet spun at lethal speeds, aiming directly for the center of the Human's forehead. He would be dead on impact from point-blank range.

A mass of brown, twisting, widening, enlarging into a thin sheet. It caught the bullet, giving way slightly before rebounding and moving back to normal. The bullet fell harmlessly to the ground. The brown sheet melted into a whisp, and shot back behind the girl. She heard a voice from its direction.

"Ershin cannot allow you to bring harm to her Ryu."

Ryu brought the blade back to her throat. He smiled at his savior. He nodded, ordering the gunner to turn around. She did so, but handed the gun to him beforehand. He checked it, emptying it of the two remaining bullets before pocketing the gun. He resumed his position. The girl saw who had stopped her bullet.

Ershin was a young girl, far younger than Ryu. She had not even reached puberty yet, her figure showing no signs of development. Her long brown hair reached the ground; it was tightly braided. Her outfit consisted of a simple dress that covered her entire body past her knees and elbows with no apparent purpose to it other than simple protection against the elements. She didn't seem to have any weapons on her, so the women didn't know what she was attacked with. Ershin's face was the opposite of Ryu's – emotionless, neutral, without a hint of feeling or worry. Her eyes were a cold, stainless grey, and they reflected listlessly in the light. She had no protection against the Miasma either.

"You are not allowed to bring harm to Ershin's Ryu," she repeated.

The woman finally spoke. "What do you want with me? I've done nothing wrong. Who are you to chase after and give me orders?" Her voice was strong and confident.

Ershin did not respond. The alleyway darkened for a few seconds as he eyes lit up, strings of code flying across them. "Nina Falschung. A Fae. Wanted in Wyndia for ten counts of vandalism, five counts of robbery, and two counts of second-degree murder during one of said robberies. Skills include an expert degree in marksmanship and simple magic casting."

"You're a Ferrum?" Nina asked in disbelief.

"A B-class criminal. The bounty for you is five-thousand zenny." Her eyes returned to normal. "That is the end of your report."

"So you're bounty hunters, huh?"

"That is only one of our job descriptions."

"Yeah, well, I'm sorry, well, not really, but I'm not just gonna let myself be taken in."

"That is understood, and we are willing to apply force to aid in your capture if necessary."

"Good, 'cause I ain't going down without a fight, and one of us will probably end up dead in the process."

"Unfortunately that cannot be allowed as your death would reduce the reward given."

"La-di-fuckin-dah for making your job so difficult." She grunted when Ryu warningly pressed the blade deeper into the side of her neck. Looking to the side, she saw him smiling again, his duality showing in the way he carried his sword. Nina snorted. "What's wrong with him? Doesn't he know how to talk?"

Ershin glanced at her before looking at Ryu. He shrugged nonchalantly. "Ryu has no need to hold discourse with someone that does not stimulate him intellectually."

"Oh?" Nina leered, her fingers and wings twitching. She gyrated her hips suggestively and glanced between the two. "So does that mean that you stimulate him? Huh!" She made an obscene gesture, her eyes daring for the younger girl to deny it. Tension was a good thing if used in subtly. If she handled it properly, she could use it against both of them and make her escape. "It figures that a meathead like him would go for a runt like you. And a Ferrum at that! You damned Humans and your perverse pleasures." She turned her head as much as Ryu would let her. Her eyes were furious, her lips in a grim sneer. "So, is she cold inside or warm? Did you add something to her to make her more…accepting?"

Her instigation did not have the desired effect on Ershin. She stood there, her face never changing in expression or tint. What did it matter what a criminal said? The Ferrums did what they wanted, whether their loyalties to the Humans were still in effect or not. Just like them, she chose what she wanted to do, and not anyone else. She had to teach an important lesson to this impertinent Fae. It would be quite enlightening. "Very well. Ershin understands. You wish to challenge Ershin to prove her inferiority to a real being, is this not correct?"

Nina's lascivious grin was a good enough answer. Ershin looked at Ryu. He pursed his lips. Nodding, he removed the blade from the Fae's throat and returned it to his scabbard. The moment he did she darted forward, her wings spreading out, a crackling orb of energy blossoming from her conjoined hands, words slipping from out her lips. She slammed a foot on the ground and lunged, flapping her wings as a booster and impacting the orb into Ershin's chest.

Fireworks, a dazzling display of light, Ershin lit up like a neon sign, the electricity arcing from her to the various puddles in the ground, dissipating after a few moments. Ershin slumped forward, a wreath of smoke drifting up from her slightly charred body. Her eyes lost their light and turned into a dark pitch black. Her body did not move, stuck in the same position after being electrocuted. The streetlamps buzzed from the sudden outbreak of energy, illuminating up the street with synthetic light. One was dim, the filament weak from behind its broken glass dome.

Nina grinned. That had been much easier than she thought. The Ferrum's fatal weakness to any forms of electricity left her at a distinct disadvantage. She didn't know what the iron bitch was thinking, fighting a real flesh-and-blood Fae and still hoping to win. Her chance had come. While the meatheaded Human was still in shock, she had two options to take. One was to run, and the other was to take out the man while she still had the momentum. She decided on the latter. After all that damned Human had put her through, she was ready to collect her pound of flesh. She turned around, preparing another spell.

Ryu did nothing. His arms were crossed, a knowing smirk slapped on his face. His defense was full of holes, and did not seem even the least bit worried that his partner had just been utterly beaten. The light gleamed off of his eyes, a treacherous spark there.

Something tickled at the back of her mind, almost as though it was trying to garnish her attention. Nina ignored this and took another step towards him.

Someone grabbed her shoulder.

She turned around. Ershin had a hand on her. Her mouth opened, an electronic screeching coming out. Her eyes regained their sheen, turning back to that steely gray. "Your analysis was flawed," she said. Her hand shimmered, melting into itself. It was quicksilver, flowing, falling, dripping all over itself. It changed shape, the thin appendage growing longer and thicker, fatter at the end. It finished its transmutation, a flesh-like club two feet long. She swung, catching the Fae in the head and knocking her into the wall. Nina's wings bent in pain as they were smashed between her and the wall. A few pinions fell to the ground, soaking in blood and urine. Ershin followed in her wake.

"You will find that Ershin is infinitely different from the standard issue of Ferrum." Her face did not harden nor her voice did not change, but Nina found herself much more terrified then before. The situation had changed, and the scales had deemed her less worthy. Now she had the disadvantage, as her only trump card had been rendered null and void. She watched as Ershin advanced, her head spinning and ears ringing. She did not have the concentration to cast another spell. She was going to be beaten.

Ershin stepped in a small puddle. She stopped and blinked. It happened. Even more than before, she exploded into a display of electrical might. The entire street was bathed in light, and Ryu and Nina had to shield their eyes to avoid being blinded. A thick arc of electricity emerged from Ershin and shot to a streetlamp, the one unbarred by its glass protection. It was sucked in, a vortex of swirling energy engulfed like objects falling into a gaping fissure. The street lamp glowed briefly before detonating, shards of metal puncturing through the flimsy walls of the buildings. Ershin shuddered once before falling over. Her club reverted back to an arm, the excess shimmering back into her body.

Nina sat there, unaware of what exactly had just taken place. All her brain could recognize was that one of the dangers had been removed in a very showy manner. She laughed anxiously, pulling herself up. If what she had done before hadn't fazed Ryu then this certainly would have. This could be her only chance to escape. She was injured, and the odds of beating Ryu now were slim. She had to run.

Her brain twitched. Danger. A premonition of death. Rage like no other, bloodlust washing over her. A cold shiver raced down her spine, and her guts fell through the bottom. She turned to where the immense feeling of pressure was coming from.

Red eye. Red-tainted hair. A mouth half-full of fangs. Ryu trembled visibly, clutching at his right arm. It rippled and bulged and contorted with muscles, expanding to twice its size. The sleeve of the jacket was ripped to shreds as scales erupted from his shoulder, leaping down his arm. They moved like the waves of the sea, crashing into his hand where dagger-like claws burst from his fingertips. Five rending, gleaming apparatuses of death, arched in aching search of blood. They flexed and danced, making sharp cracking noises. He raised his hand up and grabbed his face. The eye narrowed, the iris and pupils becoming elliptical. They were a deep crimson color, the color of blood. His hair matched, spreading like a virus. His mouth opened, a long fang slipping out. It curled up in a lustful grin.

The beast had awakened, clawing its way out. Destroy. Destroy, destroy everything. Rend flesh from bone, tear artery from vein. Feast on the weak. Devour them.

let me out let me eat so hungry been so long warm blood soft flesh kill kill kill show me to my prey a sea of blood so warm and delicious dripping oozing bring them to me let me feast

The last thing Nina saw was Ryu leaping at her, the pain of his claws and teeth tearing into her throat, showing her the path to oblivion.

ADADADADAD

Deis Endless sat at her computer, her leg crossed over the other. She gazed at the screen, a 3-D image of a DNA strand rotating and turning over. Code ran down the side of screen, a constant stream of numbers and letters. To the untrained eye it was nothing more than a stew of random digits, but to her it meant so much more. Her fingers flew across the keyboard in rapid succession, the formula filling itself out on the upper part of the screen. Several dozen kinds of acids mixed together and connected with each other into a small section of RNA. She impatiently cracked her fingers and typed "enter." The screen flashed once and a section of the double-helix was taken out to be replaced by RNA strand. The strand flashed twice and settled into a golden color, spreading across the rest of the double helix.

Deis leaned forward, her amethyst eyes shining brilliantly. A few seconds passed without change but then the DNA flashed repeatedly before ultimately breaking apart and drifting from the screen's boundaries. The simulation was another failure. Deis grabbed the almost gone cigarette from the ashtray and took a long drag. The smoke was sucked in by a ventilation shaft and shot through the air purification before being sent in again. The rush of fresh air breezed by her face. She frowned distastefully.

"Fuck."

The hissing of hydraulics, the whirring of fans, the muted klaxon of the decontamination alarm. She swiveled in her chair to look at the intruders. The iron doors stuck for a second but then clanged metallically and opened the rest of the way. A man walked in, a smaller body laid across his back. Thick banks of fog rolled in his wake, Miasma which had been cleansed by the filtering systems. One of his arms was slung inside his cloak, hidden from view. His face followed suit, a mask covering it up. It was black in color, a reptilian face with twin horns on the forehead and forked tongue curling out. He shifted the body on his back and stepped again as the doors finished closing. He unclasped the mask with one hand and removed it. Ryu smiled innocently at her.

Deis got up from the chair and walked over, taking a position right in front of the man. Her open white lab coat did nothing to hide her luscious curves but instead accentuated it. Her thin glasses slipped down her small, pointed nose as she stared at Ryu in irritation. A few strands of her purplish-black hair fell over her shoulders as she leaned over. "Where the hell have you two been?"

Ryu said nothing and walked over to an operating table located next to the large computer set-up, depositing Ershin on it. After making sure she was lying down comfortably, he walked over to a large steel chair. It was about three feet in height and two feet wide. Its shiny metal surface was scuffed with multiple laceration marks and splashed with clotted and dried blood. Ryu sat done in it and began to tie himself down with the thick leather straps that were positioned at various areas. He removed his right arm from the cloak, scaly and huge and laden with thick, sinewy muscles. He placed it on the arm rest and motioned at Deis.

The woman sighed and made her way over. She strapped his arm down and tightened the rest of them, making sure that he was firmly strapped in. Ryu's Human and reptilian eye watched her silently as talked to him the entire time.

"Really now…You'd think after all this time you'd be able to control your urges and get through a job without losing yourself. I swear it's getting harder and harder for me to turn you back every time, and making the medicine to do so isn't cheap. If you don't get your act together soon then I'll…" Her voice was chattering and contrived. Ryu paid no mind to it and instead listened to the way that her pitch changed and the way that her tone moved from annoyed to bemused so fluently and effortlessly. It was like a river, flowing by and by without the littlest bit of trouble. She was one of the only people that could make him feel at ease so easily.

Deis stepped in front of a table between the steel chair and the computer. On it were a dozen vials, beakers, and test tubes full of various liquids ranging in a variety of colors. Her hands searched through them until coming upon a vial with unintelligible gibberish scrawled across it. The liquid inside was a dark blue with the viscosity of honey. She grabbed it gently and pulled a long syringe from a box on the table and drew an amount of the unknown liquid from the vial. She tapped and squirted some of it back in to remove air bubbles and then, with a satisfied nod, walked back over to Ryu.

She grabbed his chin and forcibly lifted it. Underneath, right where his jaw line met his throat, was a small, narrow port lined with a silver metal that circled around his neck. Deis nestled the syringe's point right at the entrance before smoothly jabbing it in. Ryu twitched as he felt it slide into his throat. Deis made sure his jaw was raised and injected the liquid into him. She backed away.

Ryu trembled slightly. The trembling grew greater and more violent as time passed. His eyes were full of a torturous light, his skin crawled across his flesh like a separate organism. His jerked his head up, his mouth opening up in a scream that escaped in the form of a long hiss. The chair started to vibrate as his thrashing grew more violent, the leather straps stretching as he strained to escape. His eyes inverted in color before turning back to his natural green. The red sunk back into his hair as though it was being washed out. The scales melted back into his arm, and the claws retracted, leaving bloody gashes from where that had emerged. His muscles lost their size and density and contracted to their original shape. His trembling started to cease and he settled back into the chair, ragged gasps falling from his mouth as the pain subsided.

Deis stopped looking at her watch. She began to undo the clasps, avoiding eye contact with Ryu. "It took longer for you to revert this time, almost a full minute. I'm going to have to make the dosage stronger next time. It's gonna be a bitch to do."

A flower fell in front of her eyes. Its petals were fragrant and beautiful to behold. Her mind was ringing with joy and wonderment and comfort and love…

Deis shuddered and shook her head tersely. She glared angrily at Ryu. "This is a serious problem, Ryu. Your KAISER gene is refusing to stay dormant but we haven't managed to stabilize it yet. Without doing so, we could run the risk of it running loose. You don't want that to happen again, do you?"

Memories flooding in, the dam's gate raised a few inches. Destruction, flames of death, despair, a young boy crying in solitude. He shook his head, his mouth and eyes drooping in melancholy. Rain washed over Deis's mind. She sighed and collapsed in her seat. "Fine, I understand. Look, will you just tell me what happened?"

Ryu nodded and stood up, wobbling a bit, his head spinning and his vision blurry. He walked over to another one of the various tables sitting around the lab and grabbed a long metallic bracelet before attaching it to his arm. It was a hands-span in length, a small console on it and thin cable with a jack on the end. He drew the cable out until he found it long enough and raised it to the back of his neck. Moving his long hair aside, it revealed a small port that resembled the one on his throat. He inserted the jack in, reacting in the same way as before. Flipping the switch on the console, a spark ran from it to his neck and back. He typed a few commands into it. Though his lips did not move, an electronic voice was heard from his location.

_Testing…1, 2, 3. Test confirmed. Activating voice module._ Ryu patted his temple as if to shake cobwebs from his skull. _Damn, this thing always gives me a shock whenever I use it. Can't you fix that?_ The module blared out his thoughts as the electrical impulses ran from his brain to his spinal cord and then to the module as it interpreted the signals and turned them into words. It was something that Deis had created for him after it became tiring for either him to write out or for Deis to guess what he wanted. Ershin found it unnecessary as she always somehow knew what the young man was thinking

"With the equipment I have here?" she snorted. Deis pulled another cigarette from the pack and lit it up. "We're lucky that I was able to make all of the needed arrangements without having to cut too many corners."

_I know, I know. It's just that my system is always out of whack after using it. It doesn't help to be partially useless when a job comes up, does it?_ He tapped his feet, his eyes narrowing in defiance. His eyes widened and he examined his outfit. Ryu shucked his jacket and tossed it onto the table. _Went through a jacket this time. Fucking scales shredded it._

"No, it doesn't, and don't worry about the jacket. We'll just buy you a new one. I've gotten used to it considering you destroy some piece of clothing each time you Ascend. Speaking of which, tell me exactly what happened this time. I'll incorporate the data in the system. Hopefully it'll be of some use when we try to isolate the KAISER gene again."

_Understood. But first…_ Ryu reached into the pocket of his destroyed jacket, pulling out a thin zenny card, the bounty office's symbol stamped onto it. The cards were one-time accesses, meaning that that after they were used they were erased of all information. It prevented theft for those that tried to double-dive into the zenny repositories. _Here's the reward for the bounty. Three-thousand zenny. It would have been more but I accidentally killed the target during Ascension._

Deis accepted it from him. "If the reduced value was only three-thousand then it wasn't much of a bounty anyway." She turned around in her seat and inserted the card into a small slot on the side of the computer. The screen signaled that the funds had been transferred and expelled the card, which was now wiped blanked of any identifying marks. Deis tossed it into the trash. "This should at least fulfill our food budget. Heaven knows you're the prominent factor in depleting it."

Ryu scowled momentarily. _I understand._ He walked over to Ershin and began connecting numerous wires and cables from the large apparatus next to the operating table. It resembled a life-support system found in cities' major hospital but this one had been modified to sustain a less organic existence. As Ryu inserted the wires and cables straight into Ershin's skin, they were absorbed as though they and Ershin were made of some fluid-like material. _The whole incident was a fluke._

Deis cocked her head in slight confusion, unsure as to what Ryu was referring to. Ryu, taking her silence as thus, turned around and gestured vaguely. _The bounty attacked Ershin with a minor electrical-type magic spell._

"That shouldn't have been a problem. Ershin's body should have circulated and reduced the damage by passing it through her electrical receptors. Her body should be more resistant than normal Ferrum thanks to her multi-nanostructure."

_That's just it. She had discharged most of the electricity out of the initial attack. But somehow the little that was left overloaded her. I don't know how it happened, but it seemed that she created a huge circuit out of herself, some water, and a busted lamp._ He went on to explain the rest of it. Deis sat there, listening to what happened before pursed her lips in thought.

"It looks like after her discharge she saturated the area with electricity. Because of that it wasn't fully dissipated and needed an outlet to escape from."

_And that outlet was using Ershin as the energy source and that streetlamp as a giant lightning rod._

"Correct."

_But not only is it highly improbable, it violates most laws of physics._

"This is magic we're talking about, and the laws of augmented reality leave a lot more to be assumed and theorized. But even then, this defies a few theories." She leaned back in her chair, her head falling over the headrest as she stared at the empty ceiling. She absently noted a spider weaving a web in one of the support beams. Strange…Had it been here since they had, or before? Had the Miasma gotten to it? So many discrepancies in life; she had to find them all out. "Then again, most theories of both concept would fall apart at the very thought of Ershin." She languidly aimed a finger at the prone body. "Or you." She twisted her hand. "Or even me." She finished the thought physically.

Ryu nodded noncommittally. _I suppose you're right. In any case, it startled me. I thought we were being attacked by some invisible assailant and not just some freak accident. It was enough to trigger my Ascension._

"I see…" Deis knew that Ryu was a lot more fragile and complex than most people saw him. What appeared to be a very childish and somewhat dense individual actually housed a personality that was on par with some of the most quick-witted and intellectual people alive, herself included. His emotions had to have a tight-lid kept on them, or else they would overflow with disastrous effects. She tilted her chin and jutted it at Ershin's still form. "Ready to wake up the sleeping princess?"

Ryu smiled in good humor. He checked one last time to make sure all the connections between Ershin and the machine were in place and then turned it out. The machine let out a small bellow of smoke before vibrating quietly. Several lights flashed on before a faint glow ran down the wires and into Ershin, making her the same. Ryu looked at Deis. _Your command? You haven't added my voice to the recognition system._

"And I doubt I will. It's just too easy to copy." She gave her head a shake, moving the stray strands of hair covering her face. She raised her voice and said in a cool, crisp tone. "HEX Project, input command. The sun shone down and cleared out the fog."

A small whirring sound, the crackle of a million tiny machines coming back on-line, eyes opening pitch as black to soften into rainy grey. The connections fell from her body simultaneously, and Ershin sat up on the operating table. She blinked once. "HEX Project, Prototype Number 00, Codename Ershin. Start-up initiated." She met Ryu's gaze. Her face held no surprise or discomfort. "Good morning, Ryu."

_Hello, Ershin._ His hands began to roam over her body, checking to see if there were any abnormalities or impurities in her skin. It was an early warning sign to any internal problems that had been built into her during the planning stages. Sometimes it was nearly impossible to distinguish her from a real person; sometimes he wondered if that was truly a good or a bad thing. _Are you having any difficulties?_

Code ran through her eyes. "All systems are reporting nominal. There is a slight lag in the motor functions in Ershin's right arm but that is being serviced as the moment." As Ershin spoke, her arm began to melt and twist into a flurry of shapes and objects. After a few moments of continuously undulating, it flowed back into her normally-shaped hand. Her fingers flexed individually and then all at once. "Correction completed." She turned to Deis. "Shall Ershin give Deis a report as to why she was rendered immobile?"

"That's alright, Ershin. Ryu already told me what happened. Just input the combat data into the data banks so that we can figure out a way to prevent it from happening again."

"Understood." Ershin walked over to Deis's computer. She held up a finger. It transmutated, tapering off at the end to an indefinite and piercing point. She inserted it into one of the computer's ports as code appeared in her eyes again. A few moments passed and she removed her finger; it reverted back to normal. "Transmit complete." The screen spilt off to the side and began to run simulation of future encounters. The computer hummed with effort as its processors ran one right after the other.

"Good. Now…" Ryu and Ershin settled into their positions as Deis rifled through a file cabinet. She pulled out a folder labeled the ENDLESS Project and then another, smaller, one. It had a picture of Ryu's innocent smiling face on it. She pulled a sheet of paper out of it.

**Experiment Number 456. Codename: KAISER. First Name: Ryu. Last Name: Unknown. Gender: Male. Age: 16. Family Status: Orphan. Awakening Status: Failure. Ascension Status: Indeterminable.**

**The subject has failed all experiments designed for him. As one of the only five successful procedures, the subject has been assigned the KAISER gene. However, while the subject has failed where the others initially succeeded, it has been theoretically determined that the subject has the greatest Ascension rate out of the remaining five. Unknown as to why the KAISER gene will not stabilize, but it is theorized that multiple genes other than the original are needed. Perhaps this is why the KAISER gene has the highest Ascension rate. Further study is needed to determine if this hypothesis is correct. **

The rest of the sheets contained more notes as well as genetic, physical, astral, and magic resonation data. It all ran through her mind in a matter of seconds. At the end was the signature of the head researcher who had written up the report for Ryu. Deis removed her glasses and rubbed the bridge of her nose, a sudden pain shooting through her sinuses. Such a long time had passed since then. Nearly four years, and she still hadn't found the answer to her and Ryu's question. When would this rambling and pointless journey end? When would she finally be able to rest? Gate was a place that had the best facilities in the world and yet she…

No. She knew why she did what she did. Her conscious, her heart, and her soul agreed. They couldn't allow this monstrosity to continue in the name of scientific advancement. As amazing as it all was, what did it mean if you sold your being to the demons of hell in the process? A lump of flesh and blood, and a chunk of coal. Deis knew what had to be done; if only it wasn't hard to do when her mind screamed to do so otherwise.

Deis flipped through the pages and closed the book. She looked up to see Ryu gazing at her in concern. She realized her psyche had to be a torrent of conflicting emotions. Ryu would definitely respond to it. Ershin merely watched them, gauging what was happening, her neural pathways selecting what the proper course of action to take was. She smiled to calm down both herself and them. It had a mild effect. "What have you managed to get on your end? Have you found out any new information?"

_No, that sleazy bastard Gobi has been avoiding us ever since Ershin threatened him after he tried to overcharge for the last bit of information._

"He was selling the information for three times the normal price. Ershin merely informed him that if he continued to run a business in the same unsatisfactory manner, his clients would find it upon themselves to obtain his services in alternative ways."

_You said that you would carve out his extra blubber as collateral in the info wasn't of any use._

"An information broker has no need of unhealthy fats. A Manillo even less as it disturbs their swimming abilities."

"Okay! I get it!" Deis interrupted the two as the conversation took a more gruesome turn. The two could be the most intimidating pair alive as their personalities mixed to form one that resembled a Joky – an innocent and beautiful flower that produced one of the deadliest toxins known within its thorns. If not handled delicately, the situation would end horribly with a high probability of a participant dying.

The problem with this was that it caused a constant state of friction with the person that sold them the information for their desired end. The overweight Manillo was well known for his detailed and extensive contacts in the underworld as well as his accuracy in finding anything, from dirty secrets in government officials to information on Gaia's ruins. However, he was also infamous for his shifty and dubious nature, often cheating people out of their money by selling dummy information or at insanely high prices. While many other Manillo shared this quality, Gobi Angler took it to new kinds of lows.

"Look, did you get the information?."

"Yes, but it lead to another dead end."

_Gobi tried to pull a fast one over us. I bet he's hiding until he thinks that it's all blown over._

Smoke spread out over Deis. It twisted and turned, emanating from a flame that refused to burn out. It was eternal, bathing all in its ephemeral grasp, and distorting the world through its hazy gaze.

Deis sighed irritably. Gobi was becoming less and less reliable these last few weeks. She wondered how much more she could use him before having to cut him off, a trailing piece of rotted fish that refused to unstuck itself from her vessel. She knew that Gobi was expecting the same thing, and that it all came down to who made the first move. With Ershin and Ryu she had more muscle, but Gobi had connections in places she wished she would never have to visit. For now, she had to lay low too. It was hard enough staying underneath the radar at times.

"Very well. Keep doing your jobs and look for Gobi whenever you have the chance. It's been a long time since we started. We can't keep wasting time." She turned back around in her chair and looked at the computer. Her tone had taken a downtrodden turn to it, signaling her resigned emotions. "I can't keep making medicine for you, Ryu. It'll just stop working when your body builds up its immunities. After that…I don't know what we'll do."

Ryu and Ershin looked at each other. They understood the severity of Deis's words. Ryu's Ascension would not wait for his Awakening. When it happened the monster would be released, and when that happened, Ryu's mind would break down. He could already feel pieces of his memory and being slowly being eaten by some chaotic entity. That was why he could not feel; that was why he could never be a person again.

Ryu grabbed the jack at its base in his neck. _I understand._ He pulled it out. It hung limply from his arm until it was automatically retracted by the console, a sucking noise being heard as it returned to its socket.

ADADADADAD

The twin moons hovered in the night sky. The Miasma tainted them slightly, changing Luna from silver to a light mauve. Anima darkened, shifting to a deep blue that made it seem to blend in with the darkness. Dragnier could be seen orbiting, a collection of pinpoints of light flickering on and off like a candle that had nearly burned out its wick. The street was quiet; many people had retreated to their homes to escape the void and huddle near their sources of light. Nighttime was the time of danger; when scoundrels slipped from their abodes to wreak havoc on the city.

A children's ball was left on the street, left behind by its owner. It slid from behind the wooden block that had kept it from obeying gravity's will and rolled down the sloping line of bricks. The ball picked up speed and hit a small rock, bouncing into the air and off of the street and walls; its rubber exterior slapped each time. It reached the valley of the street and crawled up with its gained momentum. Gravity claimed it again and gently brought it back down, rolling into a space created by the gutter and broken slab of mortar.

Two tanned hands reached down and took a hold of the ball. They were attached to hairless arms that were packed with dense muscles. Ryu examined the item as though it was the first time he had seen such a thing. He held it out to Ershin and smiled childishly. She took it and turned it over, examining every detail from the scuff marks around its equator to the patches of cloth sealed with glue. "This is a children's toy, correct?" Ryu smiled in agreement. She glanced at it again. "Accessing information…" Her brain burned, searching for the data needed. Her eyes lit up, reaching a conclusion.

Holding the ball in front of her, she extended it and brought her foot back. With a speed not visible to several tribes' eyes, she punted the ball with a harsh kick. It sped into an arc that cleared the buildings and was quickly lost from sight. She turned to Ryu. "That was the right way in playing with it?"

He grinned and nodded vigorously in approval. Absently he scratched at his arm, unprotected from the air at the Miasma plucked at his skin. He had left the jacket back at the lab and chose just to go in his normal outfit. He watched as Ershin glanced at him and then began walking ahead. Ryu simply looked at her move before running after her to catch up.

When he moved up by her side, Ershin craned her head to gaze up at him. Ryu's eyes were shining brightly, but with a light that seemed to contradict its nature. Ershin continued staring at him, her electronic psyche looking for something.

"Ryu." He bent his neck and tilted his head, looking at her in a questioning manner, wondering what she wanted. "Ryu should know that Ershin is prepared to terminate you if you Ascend completely without Awakening first. It is not desired for you to reach that end, so Ershin will take all precautions to make sure it does not happen." Her lips tightened in a neutral line, her eyes belying no emotion. The index and middle finger of her right hand twitched briefly.

Cold metal, unrelenting in apathy. Sizzling electricity, bringing life with its arrival and death as its farewell gift. Frail flesh, giving in and cushioning. The mixture of the three, sparking a train that sped from station to station, holding passengers of a million faces. Looking, searching, seeking the answer to a question that was asked at its construction. Hoping for eternity. Discovering it in its mirror image, its copied self. Rejoicing for the reflection found on the lake's surface.

Ryu's face blossomed. He grabbed the small girl and engulfed her in a hug. Ershin did not react; she just let him hold her. The night passed by, the Miasma sheltering the two in an opaque shadow. Luna dove behind a house, Anima gaining full control of the night and its celestial bodies. The stars twinkled, blotted but surviving, watching those below them in pity and amusement. Nothing moved; all was silent.

The two separated. Ryu smiled sheepishly; Ershin just looked at him. They said nothing; nothing needed to be said. They began to walk again, the air comfortable between them. The surroundings were quiet, like the breaking of a new day. They could hear the movements of people inside their homes, but it was subdued and they paid no attention.

Ryu could hear his footsteps – a slow, steady, slightly muted tapping sound. It had a rhythm, synchronizing with his heartbeat. It echoed inside his head, creating a lullaby that soothed his torn soul. It washed over him, calming and caring and thoughtful. His mind reached out, touching those in proximity.

The people in their homes relaxed, feeling the ocean of dreams lap up at them. It spoke to them, whispering comforting thoughts in their ears. The sea was seductive and motherly. Ryu retreated, his warm touch sinking back into himself. Ershin looked on.

His heart pounded in his ears, growing louder and more distinct with each beat. His body trembled with excitement, the curtain slowly being raised. Something was waiting behind it – something wonderful, something deadly. His cells were screaming; they wanted to see what it was, they wanted to know!

The beast growled. It sensed the presence. It wanted to meet it, too.

It hit him. Ryu's pace sped up, pushing him forward. Something was there, something was calling him. It dove deep inside and clawed at his essence. It was waiting. It was speaking to him, for him. His foot fell down heavier this time. Ryu stopped. He looked up.

He saw her standing there at the top of the hill.

She rose from over the apex. Luxurious blonde hair that flowed down her back and curled up at the end. Blue eyes that glittered like the sky on a clear sunny day. Her robe matched her eyes, slit at the waist so that her slender legs could move without constriction. Gauntlets of steel ran down her forearms, held by a ring on each of her middle fingers. A mask covered the lower half of her face. Her face was beautiful and proud, defiant and strong. Her eyes held a melancholy in them that was like his. She was striking. Her cloak billowed in the wind.

Large and ugly. Ebony black tainted with maroon. Each feather was like a separate diseased being. Her wings spread out behind her, a practical joke played by a cruel god. The angel had risen from hell, stained by the charred remains of the damned. Death followed her, and death led her.

Hatred. Sadness. Ostracized since birth. Reviled for her mutation. Loved by her blood. Betrayed by her blood. Sacrificed for her blood. A power above all the rest. A power that resonated with the beast. Wanted her. Desired her. Must have her.

He saw her standing there at the top of the hill.

A/N: Well, that was the first chapter of my new BoF fic. For those that have read my previous fanfictions you can see how differently it's written. I've been reading a lot of cyber/steampunk books and it's had a big influence on me. But enough of that, there's something very important I have to say…To all my Love Hina readers, it is with a heavy heart that I am going to discontinue all of my Love Hina fanfics. I've been thinking about it a lot and I've been having trouble getting the energy and interest necessary to write based on the series for a while now. Thinking about it is fun, but I just don't care enough to actually write anything anymore. Also, the writing style needed for it is completely different from what I want to write professionally. I want to become a real published writer, so I have to discard them if I want to get any better in my established. You can hate me all you want but the decision is final. Maybe I'll write again when I have the time or motivation, but for now I'm devoting all my energy towards my new more action-oriented fics. I hope you'll at least look at them and give them a chance. I bit you adieu. Oh! And before I forget, please review and remember, no flames.

_Next Chapter: The Beast_


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